A New Ally
by PhryneImagined
Summary: When Stiles discovers a new supernatural in Beacon Hills, he and Scott must find out who she is. Please leave a review. Rating could change.
1. A new Ally

'Oh, sorry' Stiles muttered in a rush as he bumped into someone.

He didn't bother to look at who it was, he was too busy interrogating Scott but the person he bumped into did notice. She rubbed her forearm with a confused look and for the rest of the day she followed him all around school.

After lunch, Scott and Stiles split up to different classes. Stiles had begun feeling a little light headed before lunch, but after sitting down to the cafeteria's famous 'Taco Tuesday' he thought the light headedness had gone. It was only when he reached the door of his next class when it returned, with a vengeance. He had to support himself against the wall just outside the door. He blinked his eyes, trying to focus on the spinning hallway that stretched out in front of him.

'Are you okay?' he heard a voice ask, but couldn't see who it was.

Before he could answer, he heard another familiar voice.

'Stiles? Urgh, how many times have I told you to stay away from Taco Tuesday', he heard Lydia scolding him.

'I'm okay, I just need to sit down for a minute', he tried to protest.

'You, my friend, have food poisoning', Lydia continued.

Stiles tried to move, but his legs gave way under him.

'That's it, you're going to the hospital' Lydia insisted.

'I'll help you', he heard the first voice again.

Stiles felt himself being hoisted up and his arms wrapped around someone's shoulders. He knew Lydia was on one side, he would recognise her perfume anywhere but there was also another fragrance, one he did not recognise.

They ushered him into the back seat of Lydia's car, but he fell right over and started gagging, as if he was about to throw up.

'Stiles, do not puke in my car', Lydia said angrily.

'I'll keep him upright, he might choke', the other voice said.

'Great. Who are you again?', Lydia asked, only vaguely interested.

'Uhm, Kaitlin' the girl said as she started pushing Stiles into an upright position.

Stiles frowned. He didn't know that name. He felt her hands gently push his head and shoulders upright. Her touch was warm on his skin, almost scorching. But he couldn't focus and felt his consciousness slipping away.

'Stiles? Oh, come on Stiles! Why is he so heavy?' Stiles heard the words Lydia was saying, but it didn't make any sense to him.

'He needs electrolytes, that's why his muscles are too weak to hold him up', he heard the other girl explaining to which Lydia had very witty 'I know what electrolytes are' reply.

The girls half carried Stiles into the emergency room where a nurse immediately helped them put him in a wheel chair.

'Lydia? Is everything okay?' Melissa McCall asked anxiously when she saw Stiles propped in the wheel chair.

'Taco Tuesday', Lydia explained with a meaningful look as she walked towards the nurse. She hated hospitals and the quicker she could get out of this one, the better.

They both turned around to look at Stiles, but he, and Kaitlin, were nowhere to be seen.

The strong smell of the freshly cleaned hospital hallways was strong enough to shock Stiles awake. He looked around confused, not sure if he remembered feeling sick, or if he had just fallen asleep in class and was dreaming.

Realising that time was running out, Kaitlin anxiously looked around for an empty room. She peeped into every door and found a room that had no bedding sheets on. Perfect, she thought as she wheeled Stiles into the room and closed the door.

'Your name is Stiles, right?' she asked as she spun the chair around and looked at him with her hands on the armrests of the wheelchair.

'Ye…yes', he managed weakly.

'Okay. Stiles, listen to me. You do not have food poisoning. When you bumped into me this morning, something happened…something that hasn't happened ever before…' Kaitlin was stunned, she didn't know how to explain it to him.

'What? What are you talking about?' he asked as he tried to get up out of the wheelchair.

He felt himself being pushed back down.

'There isn't time to explain', Kaitlin said with a worried voice. He was becoming paler by the second.

He tried to get up again and she pushed him back down in the chair and without any further hesitation she took his face in her hands and started kissing him. Stiles' eyes immediately shot wide open as he felt her lips on his. After a few seconds she pulled her lips half an inch away and stayed frozen, looking him straight in the eye.

Anyone who would have looked through the little glass window in the door would have seen the strangest sight ever. As Kaitlin pulled away from Stiles, a stream of blue light came from her mouth and flowed into his.

Stiles felt his energy and consciousness return with every second that ticked by. After a solid minute, Kaitlin straightened up, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand.

'That was too close' she whispered.

Stiles jumped up out of the wheel chair.

'What the hell was that!' he demanded.

Kaitlin only looked at him with big eyes. She opened her mouth to say something, but the face in front of her became unfocused and she staggered back, catching herself against the wall.

'Hey, ooh, are you okay?' Stiles asked concerned, regretting his outburst.

'I'm fine', she said as she shook her head to pull herself together.

'You cannot tell anyone', she said with earnest as she put her hands on his shoulders. He stared at her with disbelief. 'Promise me', she said with meaning, looking straight into his eyes.

'Uh…yeah…okay' Stiles agreed reluctantly.

'Good. They won't believe you anyway', she said with a sigh.

Stiles was taken aback by her comment and she used the opportunity to quickly vanish out the door.

A very confused Stiles headed back out into the hall where Melissa found him.

'Stiles! Where have you been? Are you okay?' she asked, putting the back of her hand against his forehead.

'Yeah…uhm…I just had to go to the bathroom', he said, quickly thinking on his feet. 'Hey, did you see a girl out here just now? Black jacket, glasses…' he asked, looking up and down the hall.

'No sweetheart. Are you sure you're okay? Lydia thinks you might have food poisoning', Melissa said, putting her hands on his shoulders and turning him to face her.

'Oh…uhm…yeah...uhm…no...I… I feel so much better now', he said, rubbing his hand on his stomach and giving the nurse a meaningful look.

'Oh' she said surprised, but happy that he was all right.

'I really need to get back to school', he said suddenly.

'Are you sure? I can give you a sick note', Melissa pressed.

'No, thank you Melissa. I'm fine. Really. I just need to get back to school', he said and ran down the hall towards the exit.

'Dude, my mom just sent me a text. Are you okay?' Scott asked when a very out of breath Stiles stumbled into the locker room and fell down on the bench next to his best friend.

'Dude, you will not believe what just happened to me', he started.

...

'And she just kissed you?' Scott asked confused.

'Yeah man. And her eyes were glowing, like this really really…blue…colour? Or maybe it was purple, I don't know' Stiles explained.

'Dude, that means she could be one of us!' Scott mused. 'And you said her name is Kaitlin? I don't think I know her'.

'I know I've seen her before though' Stiles scratched his head as he tried to think.

For the rest of the school day Stiles looked into every classroom he passed and harassed every girl with a long, dark ponytail, looking for Kaitlin. He had to give up when the last bell rang, but resolved to continue his search the following day.

After a restless night, tossing and turning, Stiles bolted out the front door with a simple 'See you later, Dad!'. Sheriff Stilinsky only smiled and shook his head, hoping there wasn't any ominous reason for his son's eagerness to get to school.

The first two periods went by in a daze as Stiles was scanning every face he could see.

'What are you doing?' Scott finally asked.

'I'm looking for Kaitlin' Stiles whispered urgently. He was beginning to get very annoyed. He knew that he had seen her somewhere before, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

'Well, good luck with that' Scott patted him on the back as he walked into Spanish class ahead of him. Stiles dragged himself to his desk and fell down in defeat. 'She has _got_ to be here' he whispered to himself as the teacher started the class.

'Can anyone give me an example?' the teacher asked whilst writing the last word on the blackboard.

There was no immediate reply and the teacher turned to look for any raised hands. 'Yes?' she said, finally pointing to someone at the back of the class.

Stiles wasn't paying attention. He was going over his class roster, trying to remember where he had seen the girl from the hospital before, when he heard someone answer the teacher's question.

'Él es un idiota'.

'Yes, thank you, Kaitlin', the teacher said with a smile, the class stifling their giggles.

Stiles nearly fell out of his chair as he spun around. He thought he recognised the voice, but when the teacher said the name as well, he knew it had to be her.

She was sitting in the last row, playing with a strand of her long, dark pony tail and writing something in her notebook. When she looked up at the board again, she noticed Stiles staring at her with an open mouth. She froze for a second, her eyes locked with his, until she blinked a few times and went back to writing, sliding down in her chair and shielding her face with her hand.

Stiles swung back in his seat. It was her! He tried to get Scott's attention, but when he couldn't, he quickly pulled out his phone and started typing.

When the bell finally rang, a poised Stiles jumped out of his seat like a rocket and ran out the door, stopping to wait just outside where he could ambush her when she came out.

Kaitlin suspected as much. She pulled her pony tail free from the rubber band and threw her hair over one shoulder, trying to cover her face, and quickly headed in the opposite direction when he reached out to draw her attention. Kaitlin turned the corner towards the girls' bathroom and sighed with relief when she looked behind her and saw nobody following her. But she came to a sudden stop when she turned back and walked into what felt like a solid wall.

'Hi there' Scott smiled down at her and she knew there was no escape.

...

'You guys are nuts! I wasn't even at school yesterday', Kaitlin protested.

Scott and Stiles had cornered her in an empty classroom. They were missing class, but neither of them cared. They had to know if there was someone new and strange in town, and they had to know if she was good or bad.

'Oh, come on!' Stiles exclaimed, but Scott put a hand on his shoulder, urging him to calm down.

'We won't tell anyone', he tried to reassure a very scared looking Kaitlin.

'Yeah?' she asked sarcastically, fidgeting with the strap of her bag that was she was clinging on to as if it were a life preserver in the open ocean.

'Really' Scott said with glowing, red eyes.

Kaitlin's backpack dropped to the floor, the sound echoing ominously through the empty classroom.

'You're an alpha!' she whispered in disbelief.

'No, no!' she shook her head. 'You are much too young to be an alpha. What are you?' she asked, taking a step back with every sentence.

'Scott's a _true alpha_ , okay?' Stiles defended his friend.

Kaitlin looked from Scott to Stiles and back to Scott again and straightened her back. 'In that case, I need to speak with your druid', she said firmly, the expression on her face changing from fear to resolution.

...

'Doc! Are you here?' Scott called out as he held the back door open for Kaitlin and Stiles to enter as well.

'Scott? Is everything okay?' Deaton asked apprehensively, seeing the young girl with them. He didn't know her, but seeing the look on the boys' faces, he immediately knew something was up.

'Doc, this is Kaitlin' Scott said, and then Kaitlin spoke before he could continue.

'Mi estas Kuracanto', she said with a blank face.

'Well', Deaton responded with surprise.

'I must admit I thought you were only the stuff of legends', he said as he put down the vials he held in his hand.

He unlocked the medicine cabinet where he kept all the _secret ingredients and medicines_ he used as a druid, and took out a small, black bottle.

'May I?' he asked Kaitlin as he walked towards her.

Kaitlin eyed him suspiciously until she saw him pour the purple powder into his hand. She closed the final step between them and tilted her head to the side, offering her exposed neck. Deaton held his hand towards her neck and lightly blew on the powder in his hand. When the powder came into contact with her skin, it revealed a hidden tattoo.

Scott and Stiles' mouths hung open.

'What. Is. That?'Scott said the words one by one.

'Violet. It's used to reveal the truth', Deaton explained.

'Wait, she said, _Kuracanto_ ' Scott remembered.

'It means healer. This symbol' Deaton pointed to the tattoo on Kaitlin's neck' is Cho-ku-rei – the Reiki symbol for physical healing. Its use represents "awakening of the light from within and from above"' he explained.

'Your knowledge is impressive, Druid' Kaitlin said.

'Oh, well, I'm afraid my knowledge of the _Kuracanto_ don't go much further than this', Deaton admitted.

'Whoa, hold on a second' Stiles protested. 'The light from within?' he asked, pulling a face.

'When we bumped into each other yesterday, I...somehow...took almost all of your _life force_ ' Kaitlin explained.

'Why would you do that?' Stiles asked with disgust.

'I can't explain it. I'm really sorry, it's never happened before. It wasn't intentional', she tried to apologize, but Stiles only looked at her with disbelief.


	2. Changes

'Dude, she tried to kill me!' Stiles exclaimed animatedly.

Scott sighed. That was Stiles for you. Once he had an idea in his mind, he was set on it. But Scott had also learned over the years that Stiles had an instinct stronger than anyone else he knew. An instinct Scott had come to trust without fail.

'Maybe we should keep an eye on her then' he offered, and smiled when he saw that this idea clearly appeased Stiles.

Kaitlin wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. She had been feeling a little _off_ for several days now, but she had been trying to push the feeling to the back of her mind. It wasn't time yet. And she was alone. Where could she go? Who would help her?

'Are you okay?' Deaton asked quietly pulling her aside while Scott tried to reason with his best friend.

'Yes', she answered with a weak smile, 'But I do believe I might need some more of your help', she looked at him with tired eyes.

'Anything', Deaton offered. That single word rang through the air like a siren, and Scott instantly turned his attention to where the two figures were silently talking a few feet away. He pumped Stiles in the ribs to draw his attention, and they both leaned in closer.

'Every kuracanto goes through a _shintsha_ , a…change. It usually happens somewhere between their eighteenth and twentieth birthday' Kaitlin started.

She quickly continued when she saw the frowning faces staring back at her.

'With us, the females are more _sensitive_ than the males, we are the ones that carry the gene. If a kuracanto male marries a human girl, for instance, their children would be normal…they would be human. My children, however, _will_ be kuracanto. My abilities now are limited. I can heal a common cold or any superficial wound but that's about it. After the _change_ , however, my abilities will improve greatly'.

'And you think this...' Scott tried to remember the word.

'Shintsha' Deaton said.

'Right. You think this _shintsha_ is happening to you _now_ '. It was more of a statement than a question.

'I _think_ that finding an alpha...finding this pack, has somehow kick-started the process early for me'.

'Wait. What does finding a pack have to do with your... _biochemistry_?' Stiles asked sarcastically, gesturing from her head to the floor. He didn't like this, not one bit. Her plain ponytail and big, round glasses coupled with her pasty complexion might seem _mild mannered_ enough, but he still didn't like it.

Scott let out a low snarl, warning Stiles to calm down.

Unfazed by the teenager's rant, Kaitlin explained further. 'Millennia ago, when the druids left Europe, my people aligned themselves with the Lycans. We are a peaceful people, and as such, needed someone to protect us'.

'The werewolves protected you and in return you healed them'. Deaton was beginning to see the picture.

'The transformation in itself is nothing spectacular, but without medical supervision, it can potentially be fatal', she said bleakly.

Deaton nodded. 'Do you know when?'

'No. Not for sure. The fever will progress until I am no longer in control of my own body. It usually lasts no more than forty eight hours once it's started, but it is different for everyone'.

'That settles it. Just let me know then. The boys will give you a ride home' Deaton smiled.

Kaitlin nodded and grabbed her backpack, heading to the door with 'That's not necessary'.

'We'd love to, it's no trouble', Scott offered. ignoring the death stare Stiles was giving him.

After they dropped her off at the apartment building where she lived, Stiles couldn't keep quiet anymore.

'Did we really have to do that?' he asked angrily.

'Dude, what is your problem?' Scott asked confused.

'Dude, she kissed me!' Stiles exclaimed.

'Since when are you opposed to being kissed by a girl' Scott teased.

'If she was a pretty girl' Stiles answered with sarcasm.

'Oh come on. She's…okay' Scott defended.

Stiles only pulled a face in response.

'But she's no Lydia', Scott conceded.

'Exactly!' Stiles exclaimed while the Jeep roared to life.

'Or Malia' Scott muttered to himself.

'Wow, you're not looking so good', Kira said with concern when she saw Kaitlin at school the next morning.

'I'll be okay. It's just hay fever', Kaitlin explained, not sure how much Scott had told her.

She knew she should have stayed in bed, but it would only have driven her mad. She didn't know when the transformation would begin or how bad it would get. As children they were never allowed to witness the change for themselves and all she had to go on were bits and pieces of conversations she heard from the adults. The druid didn't know much either. No, she would have to tough it out on her own.

For most of the day she was able to focus on the content of the classes being taught, but in Spanish she was having trouble paying attention as she already knew the language and several of its dialects inside out. Beads of sweat were beginning to form on her forehead. She had to get away from the prying eyes of her classmates before raising suspicion. She quickly packed up her books and ran out of the classroom.

'Kaitlin…?' the teacher started, but Kaitlin was out the door before she could finish.

As she ran past Stiles' desk, he saw the sweat on her forehead and he could have sworn he heard how difficultly she was breathing. His first thought was to just let her go and be weird somewhere far away. But that little voice inside nagged him that she might need help.

'Oh crap' he whispered to himself, wondering again with chagrin where his fearless leader had disappeared to.

He packed up his books and ran after her.

'Mr Stilinsky!' the teacher exclaimed, but he ignored her.

Out in the hall he saw Kaitlin heading for the door outside. She was supporting herself against the lockers, barely able to stand. Stiles threw his backpack over his shoulder and ran towards her.

'You okay?' he asked, ducking under her arm and pulling her away from the wall.

'I need…to get…to…the clinic' she managed with staggered breathing.

'The animal clinic?' Stiles asked.

'Yes', the reply was barely a whisper.

Stiles helped her into his Jeep and then sped off towards the animal clinic, half way across town.

Kaitlin curled up in the passenger seat, soft moans escaping as she started shivering.

'Wow, you look really bad' Stiles said more to himself, and pushed down harder on the accelerator.

By the time they reached the animal clinic, Kaitlin was unconscious. Stiles slammed on the brakes and rushed around to the passenger side. She almost fell right into his arms when he opened the door and he quickly carried her into the clinic, calling out to Deaton as he entered the front door.

'Quickly, put her on the table', Deaton urged him.

'Put up the closed sign and lock the front door', he ordered Stiles when Kaitlin was lying down on the silver veterenarian's table.

Deaton pulled out his stethoscope and listened to her heart, it's rhythm erratic but strong

'All right, it's all locked up'.

'Good. I think you need to call Scott' Deaton urged as at that moment Kaitlin started convulsing violently.

Stiles stared at Deaton, unable to take his eyes off the scene playing out in front of him.

'Stiles!' Deaton called out, ripping him from his trance.

'Yes! Yes! Call Scott'. Stiles had to redial twice as his shaking hands kept missing the numbers.

'Hi, this is Scott. I'm not available right now but...'

'Urgh!' Stiles exclaimed with frustration. 'Where are you dude? 911 at the animal clinic!' he yelled at the phone.

'Stiles! I need some help here!'

'What do you want me to do? What...what do I do?' Stiles nervously bit the top of his thumb.

'For now, just help me hold her down'.

Kaitlin was convulsing even more violently than before and it took all the strength the two men had to hold her down.

'Uhm, Doc, I think you better come take a look' Stiles said concerned.

'What is it?' Deaton asked worriedly as he hurried to Kaitlin's side. When he touched her forehead he announced with a sigh of relief that her fever seemed to have broken. They both sighed. It was late Saturday evening and they were both exhausted from watching over Kaitlin since Stiles had brought her to the animal clinic the previous day. There had been no word from Scott and Kira hadn't heard from him either. Stiles was too tired and angry at him to be concerned and made a mental note of tearing him a new one when he decided to show his face.

'I think it's over' Deaton said to Stiles, who was now also leaning in closer.

Kaitlin's eyes flew open, glowing a deep, bright purple. Her hand instinctively shot up and grabbed Stiles by the throat.

Struggling to get free, Stiles grabbed at her arm with both hands. Images started flashing in his mind and he froze with confusion. A forest, fairy lights and music all blurred into one as the strangest sensation past through his body. It almost felt like floating in the pool when he was a little kid. But then, suddenly, he couldn't breathe and he struggled for freedom, waving his arms, trying to grab hold of anything to pull himself out.

'Kaitlin. Kaitlin, it's all right. You're safe', Deaton tried to reason with her, but both she and Stiles were frozen in the moment.

She couldn't grasp what was going on. There were so many images running through her mind. A woman smiling. A young boy floating in water, no, in a pool. A hospital corridor... Then, just as suddenly, she let go of Stiles and he staggered backwards, struggling to take a breath.

Deaton turned his attention to the choking boy. 'Stiles, you're all right. Just relax and try to slow down your breathing'. It was having no effect. It seemed that Stiles couldn't even hear him.

Deaton turned to the medicine cabinet to grab a syringe and the small bottle of epinephrine. He had put it at the ready in case he needed to use it on Kaitlin, but it would help Stiles now too.

When he turned back to Stiles, he saw Kaitlin had got off the exam table. She was standing facing Stiles, face in her hands and with her mouth only inches away from his. She parted her lips and a strange, blue light flowed from her mouth into his. She was looking straight in his eyes, hers still glowing purple.

After a few seconds, Stiles took one deep breath as Kaitlin broke away from him. They both staggered backward, and Deaton grabbed each of them by an arm.

Kaitlin was the first to recover. Deaton turned to Stiles, who was standing bent down, supporting himself with his hands on his knees.

'Stiles, are you okay?' he asked concerned.

Before Stiles could answer, they heard the bell of the front door ring. Deaton looked up, instantly annoyed that someone would be ignoring the closed sign. He noticed that Kaitlin was gone.

'Kaitlin!' he called out to her, walking to the front of the clinic, just in time to see the last of Kaitlin as she left. Moments later the bell rang again and Deaton looked up in surprise to see Scott and Kira entering.

'What's going on?' Scott asked with big eyes. 'We just saw Kaitlin bolt out of here like a bat out of hell'.

'Dude, where have you been?' Stiles' voice was weak but Scott could literally smell the anger off him.

'Dude, I'm really sorry. We were on our way to math when Argent called. He and Derek were pinned down by the Calaveras. There was no time to tell anyone' Scott finally explained.

'Don't you _ever_ do that to me again, okay?' Stiles pretended to scold his best friend, but in reality he was very relieved Scott was okay. The whole time he was helping Deaton with Kaitlin, he felt as if he was in a dream, a nightmare he couldn't wake up from.

'I won't. I promise' Scott answered with sincerity.

'I just hope she's okay', Kira said with concern. It was already Wednesday, and there had been no sign of Kaitlin since she took off from the animal clinic.

'She's probably just scared of the _pure wrath_ she'll be facing because she _tried to strangle me_!' Stiles exclaimed annoyed, slamming his locker shut.

'She probably didn't even know she was doing it. You said her eyes were glowing, right? She probably thought she was somewhere else', Scott came to Kaitlin's defence. Despite Stiles' issues, the pack could use someone like her. They could have used someone like her a long time ago.

Scott was still thinking about Kaitlin and listening to Stiles' ranting with half an ear when someone let out a low whistle. "Who is that?"

Everyone who was standing in the hall at that moment looked up as a silhouette appeared in the doorway. A strange face was walking towards them confidently, long, dark curls seemingly floating around her face and her bright, blue eyes sparkling against her pale, almost translucent skin, and when she smiled, for a moment, she reminded Scott of Allison.

'Kaitlin?' Lydia asked, the only one to recognise her.

Stiles, who was still ranting, turned around, prepared to give her a mouth full for what happened in the animal clinic. But when he locked eyes with her, his mouth fell open and he instantly forgot what he was about to say.

Kaitlin stopped in front of him. 'Stiles, I am so sorry. Deaton told me what I did when I woke up. You have to know I didn't know what I was doing. Really, I am _so_ sorry', she pleaded with him.

'Umph! It's all forgotten', Stiles stammered, trying to sound indifferent.

Scott and Kira looked at each other and smiled.

The bell rang. 'Come on buddy, we need to get to class', Scott had to drag Stiles by the arm to get him away from Kaitlin, and if he didn't have super strength, it would have been an impossible task.


	3. Murder

'Come on, we're gonna be late!'

Liam frowned annoyed when the two girls brushed past him, almost knocking him over.

'It's assembly, in the middle of the school day!' he yelled at them. 'How exiting could it possibly be?' he murmured to himself.

'It's a whole hour of missing class, bro. I'd say that's something to get excited about'.

Liam couldn't help but smile at his best friend's comment. He knew the best part of any school day for Mason was any part that had all the boys in school gathered together in one room. He didn't really approve of Mason's _preferences_ when it came to the hormone driven urges they were subject to as teenage boys, but he had been a solid friend since he first came to Beacon Hills. Nobody had noticed the new, young track star off the field and having to keep the secret of getting kicked out of his old school, made for awkward conversation with anyone.

'The Sheriff is here! I heard they found _six_ dead bodies!'

Liam's eyes grew big as he listened to the excited jabber of the kids around him.

'It's probably just another sex-ed talk' Lydia remarked dryly to Kira. They were walking in front of Liam and Mason, and the scent of her fruity shampoo filled their noses as she flicked her hair back over her shoulder.

Liam took a deep breath as he let the smell surround him. Lydia Martin was the classiest, most beautiful girl in the whole school - in the whole world as far as he was concerned.

'Bro, you're drooling'.

Liam let out a low growl at Mason as he wiped his chin, only to realize that it was dry. Mason's eyes grew big and his hand grabbed for his throat as he took a step away from Liam. Liam bared his teeth and they both burst out laughing.

'Easy boys. Not everyone would get that joke' Kaitlin said with a serious tone as she grabbed them both by the back of the neck.

'Sorry' Liam said.

'Yeah, we were just kidding around' Mason defended.

'Just be careful about where you kid around, okay?' she reprimanded them as she nodded her head in the direction of the assembly hall. They were only a few feet away from the big double doors and many students were hanging around outside the hall, waiting for their friends.

'Thanks Kaitlin' Liam said shyly.

'No problem kid. Oh, and, Mason? Vampires go for the throat. A wolf will go for the ankles first' she said with a wink before letting them go and walking ahead of them through the doors.

Mason stood frozen as her words sank in. It had only been a few weeks since he found out his best friend was a werewolf and that he was part of a pack made up of kids right here in the school, but it hadn't even occurred to him that there might be other creatures than just werewolves.

'She's just kidding' Liam reassured his friend with a pat on the shoulder.

'I hope you're right'.

'All right! All right! Settle down please!' the principal said sternly into the little microphone on the podium.

Everyone was settling in their seats except for a few still looking for their friends. Kaitlin scanned the room looking for Kira and Lydia when she heard someone calling her name in a loud whisper.

'Over here!'

Kaitlin hesitated for a moment as she tried to determine the direction the whisper was coming from. It didn't take long to see the flailing arms of the exited teenager across the room.

'What's up Liam?'

'We're skipping assembly' he smiled and pulled her back out into the hallway where she saw the others already waiting.

'What's up?'

Kaitlin directed the question at Scott whilst suspiciously eyeing Stiles who looked like he was about to explode.

'My dad is in there right now' Stiles pointed a thumb at the assembly hall behind him. 'Someone's killing people in Beacon Hills!'

Stiles couldn't contain himself anymore. This was big news.

'Looks like _someone_ forgot to take their Adderall this morning' Lydia mumbled, rolling her eyes.

'Just hear him out guys. This might be something that _we_ need to deal with' Scott said seriously. Everyone who was smiling at Lydia's comment immediately straightened up and stared at Stiles, waiting for further explanation.

'Okay. So, three people have been murdered in the last two weeks. Three seemingly random people who…'

'They're not random' Kaitlin interrupted Stiles mid-sentence.

'Excuse me?' Mason asked frightened by the thought that they could all be talking about murder so casually.

'No, they're not' Stiles said dejectedly. He blew out a long breath, disappointed that his big moment was cut short, but also puzzled by the fact that someone other than himself noticed what was so obviously staring them right in the face.

'You know about the murders?'

Scott stared at Kaitlin in confusion. He knew that conspiracy theories were Stile's forte and it was very weird that someone else could get the jump on him.

'I know the people who were murdered' Kaitlin answered bleakly.

Stiles' mouth fell open. Never has the convergence of coincidence been so tremendous. The excitement grew in him like a vine, spreading into his limbs and making his fingertips and toes tingle with anticipation. He blinked back to reality when he could feel everyone looking at him with that 'explain this weirdness please' look.

'Someone's coming!' Scott whispered urgently. 'This way' Lydia offered and they all followed her into the music room just a few feet from where they were talking.

'All right, Princess. Spill it!' Stiles hissed through his teeth at Kaitlin as he pinned her with his forefinger against the grand piano in the center of the room.

'Stiles!' Scott exclaimed, pulling him away from her.

'Sorry. Sorry…I…sorry' he muttered and took a step back, anxiously biting the top of his thumb, his left knee jerking uncontrollably with impatience.

Realizing the seriousness of what she was about to say, Kaitlin sagged down to the floor, her back resting against one of the piano legs. She dropped her head in her hands, trying to decide whether she should speak or just run away. When she finally lifted her face again, everyone else was also seated on the floor. Lydia was sitting closest to her with Scott between her and Stiles, who was keeping his distance.

'The first one was Merlin Yanez. He was the driver of the bus I came to town with' she started. Nobody reacted.

'The second one was Gloria Rogers. She was a very friendly and very sweet cashier at the store around the corner from where I live. She even offered to show me around town' Kaitlin trailed off, the sadness in her voice unmistakable.

'Who was the third one?' Liam asked excitedly when Kaitlin didn't continue. Kira gave him an angry look and he whispered a soft apology, but no-one seemed to hear him. They were all staring at Kaitlin, waiting for the bomb to drop.

She swallowed hard.

'The…uhm…'she cleared her throat. 'The third one was Richard Miller'.

Kaitlin looked up at Stiles almost apologetically.

'Who is Richard Miller?' Kira asked trying not to sound too excited.

'Richard Miller lived in the same building that Kaitlin does' Stiles answered the question. He was staring back at Kaitlin. It was as if he understood that she couldn't answer the question, like she was asking for his help.

'So?' Lydia asked.

'So, those three people had nothing in common except for Kaitlin' Scott made the connection.

The room fell silent.

'What does it mean?'

Nobody reacted. Kira moved closer to Scott and he gently squeezed her arm. He knew they were all wondering about the connection between the victims and Kaitlin, but he was unsure if he should press her about.

'There is something, isn't there?'

Stiles squinted at Kaitlin. He saw her shift uncomfortably at Kira's question, but before he could say anything more, Kaitlin stood up and walked out.

'What is that about?' Scott turned to Stiles who only shrugged. Moments later they could hear voices in the hall, indicating that the assembly was over.

Kaitlin banged her fist against the back of the bathroom door. Why? Why did this have to happen? Does she dare to tell them what she suspects? How will they react? This is a threat they have probably never dealt with before and _she_ brought it into their homes. Biting her bottom lip she stares herself down in the mirror. 'They have to know. It's too late to turn and run now anyway'.

Taking a deep breath, she stormed out of the bathroom and headed for the lunch room. It was already overrun. The assembly went on into lunchtime and everyone was rushing to grab something to eat. She slowly made her way through the mulling masses, only to find the last two soggy sandwiches and a scoop of something that seemed to move on its own.

'Appetizing' she said to herself as she passed the counter and started looking around for the others. She needed to talk to them - all of them. A shiver ran down the back of her spine as she remembered Stiles' face when he pinned her against the piano. She wondered again why he hated her so much, but she quickly pushed the thought aside again as she started looking around for them. The lunch room was bustling with the exited babbling of hyper imaginations, sharing conspiracy theories and possible suspect information. Kaitlin was astonished by the fact that high school students could get so involved in something that was so scary, and very, very dangerous.

She decided that she would have to use another method of finding the others. She closed her eyes and gathered her focus. When she opened her eyes again, they were glowing purple and she scanned the room, looking for anything that stood out. All of the teenagers in the lunch room gave off only a dull energy signature. She knew that supernaturals had a much brighter aura, so she headed outside, where she almost immediately found an entire table of very bright auras under a nearby tree.

'There you are!', Lydia smiled warmly, seemingly unaffected by the earlier tension.

She waved to Kaitlin to join them, quickly hopping up and sitting back down next to Kira, leaving the only open seat next to Stiles.

As she approached, Kaitlin frowned as she suddenly realized that Stile's aura was as bright as the rest of the table.

Stiles nearly choked on his fried when he saw her sitting down next to him. Then he noticed her eyes, pulling a face.

'Oh. Sorry', Kaitlin quickly blinked, her eyes returning to the bright blue.

'Hey, your eyes. They're not brown anymore' Stiles noted, staring at her. He seemed much calmer than before.

Kaitlin blushed and looked down at her hands.

'Yeah, uhm…I guess it's because of the _change_. Most of the kuracanto's in my family have green eyes after they change', she said, talking to the table.

'So what does it mean that yours are blue?' Stiles asked thoughtfully.

'I don't know. I don't think it means anything, it's just rare. I think' Kaitlin said, mustering the courage to look at him.

'Oh', he said.

He continued to eat his fries when he noticed that she didn't have any food.

'You're not hungry?' he asked with a mouth full of fries.

'I missed the proverbial train' she explained, shrugging her shoulders.

'Do you want my apple?' he offered the small green fruit to her.

'Thanks' she smiled. Their fingertips touched for only a second, but that was enough for both of them to feel the small static shock.

'Sorry' she shrugged again, biting into the apple for something to do.

'So are you going to tell us why people you know are getting murdered?' Lydia broke the ice.

'What? We're all thinking it' she defended when Scott glared at her.

'She's right, Scott. You need to know. You all need to know what's about to happen. It's my fault and I can't stop it' Kaitlin said quietly.

Kaitlin's words sent an eerie chill around the table. She sighed heavily and when she spoke, her voice was tired, like that of someone who carried the world on their shoulders. Stiles recognized it. He felt it every day.

'I come from a big family of nomads. You would know us as _gypsies_. My grandfather is the leader of our family, along with his brothers and their sons'.

'Strength in numbers' Scott mused.

'Yes. But we have many enemies as well'.

'Hunters?' Stiles asked.

'No. Something much worse'.


	4. The Fox and the Lion

'What could be worse than hunters?' Liam wondered.

Kaitlin smiled, but it was a bitter smile. How could she explain it to Liam that his life was over before it even had a chance to begin?

'Kaitlin?'

Scott's voice was kind, reassuring. Kaitlin looked up at the wondering eyes staring back at her from around the lunch table and for a moment she was almost sure that maybe the situation was not as bad as it seemed. But reality quickly pulled her back into its abyss and she took a deep breath, steeling herself for what was to come.

'In Europe there are very few hunters. Yes, long lines of the hunter families did originate there, but they have all but left entirely. The hunter's creed protects us to an extent'

'We hunt those who hunt us' Scott repeated the words he had heard Allison said.

'Yes. We are peaceful people, and because we move around a lot, we manage to stay out of trouble for the most. But Europe is only _so_ big and we can never stay in one place too long before it is discovered, which means we can never go back'

'Why don't you just defend yourselves against this _enemy_?'

Stiles didn't bother to hide the sarcasm in his voice. He couldn't understand why anyone would just lie down and be bullied like that. He felt Scott's hand on his shoulder but he shrugged it off.

'No! I don't understand it. You have powers, you can do stuff that even Scott might be vulnerable to, but you just run and hide!'

'Stiles!'

Scott hated using his alpha voice on his friends, but Stiles was getting out of line. Stiles sunk down in his seat as if some invisible hand was pushing him into the ground. Despite the fact that he was just a human, the rules of the pack applied to him as well.

'I'm sorry' he offered, his eyes fixed on the table in front of him.

'There is no defence against the Brotherhood' Kaitlin stated plainly.

One, bleak statement that would haunt them for weeks to come.

'What is the _Brotherhood_?' Lydia asked.

'As far as I know, the Brotherhood are as old as the supernaturals themselves. I was very young when my grandfather told me about them, but I'll never forget it'

The bell for next period rang loudly. Nobody moved. They were all absorbed in the moment, without realizing that they were still at school.

'Are you coming?'

Liam nearly jumped out of his seat when Mason suddenly talked right next to him.

'What?'

'Are you coming to class?'

'Oh! Right. Guys, what are we going to do?' Liam asked with big eyes, disappointed that the story had to end there.

'We can meet up at the animal clinic after school' Scott suggested. They separated to their different classes, but not before Stiles gave Kaitlin one more hateful look.

'Did I do something?' she asked Lydia as they headed to the bathroom.

'Hmmm? What do you mean?' Lydia was pre-occupied with her phone.

'To Stiles. I must have done something really abysmal to make him hate me so much'

'Oh no, sweetie. Don't worry about Stiles. He thinks we are all too trusting and he doesn't do well with new people. He's kind of the _protector_ of the pack, you know?'

'I see'

Kaitlin dragged her feet. What was she going to do? It was clear that Stiles was the heart of the pack, the most important part of what held it all together. She wondered again about the bright aura she saw around him earlier that day. Could it be that he was indeed a supernatural? Or was it because he was just _that_ important to the pack? Whatever the reason, she had to find a way to convince him that she had no intentions of hurting the pack in any way. She had to at least try.

'Hey, can you hold my bag for a sec?

'Sure'

Kaitlin stared at the mirror. What was she going to do? How was she going to get through to Stiles? She felt Lydia's bag vibrate and suddenly an idea popped into her head. She glanced around and quickly took Lydia's phone out of the bag. She pulled her own phone from her jeans' back pocket and quickly scrolled down Lydia's contacts list until she found the number she was looking for. She took a picture of the screen and silently cursed when the camera sound echoed loudly through the empty bathroom. She managed to drop Lydia's phone back in her bag just a millisecond before the red head appeared with a suspicious look.

'Did I just hear a camera?' she asked with one raised eyebrow.

'Yes. It was me. Selfie!' Kaitlin tried to sound girly and put on her best fake smile.

'Oh! Great idea!'

Lydia pulled her phone out and grabbed Kaitlin by the arm, pulling their heads together.

'Smile!'

Kaitlin blinked several times as they walked down the hall to the classroom. The flash of the camera caught her off guard and she struggled to get the bright circles out of her vision. She walked into the Spanish class and headed for Stiles' desk, but he turned away from her, suddenly having something very important to tell the kid next to him. She sighed and continued to her own desk at the back of the class. She fell down in her seat and pulled out her phone.

 _Can we talk?_

 _No!_

 _Please? It's important._

 _What do you want?_

 _I want to tell you something._

 _Leave me alone._

 _Please? Just a few minutes. Before we meet up at the animal clinic?_

…

 _Please?_

 _In the parking lot after school. FIVE MINUTES!_

 _Thank you._

Kaitlin quickly put her phone away when the teacher entered the classroom and the class started.

'Hey, thanks for…'

'You've got four minutes and forty five seconds'

Kaitlin drew back. She couldn't understand why this boy hated her so much.

'You know what…? Never mind. I'll see you at the clinic'

Stiles didn't answer. He watched her walk away and he couldn't move. There was something about this girl with her long, raven black hair and her deep-as-an-ocean blue eyes that just rubbed him the wrong way. He couldn't put his finger on it, but he had a feeling about her and he couldn't shake it. He was even dreaming about her and it annoyed him. He stood next to the Jeep watching her for another minute before his phone vibrated.

 _Picking up Kira. Will be there soon._

'Of course' Stiles sneered at the phone as he slid into the driver's seat.

The engine roared to life but he couldn't get it in gear. He slammed his hands on the steering wheel. He was angry. Until two weeks ago everything was going good. He was sure of things. He was sure that they defeated Allison's aunt Kate in Mexico. He was sure that Derrick had turned into some _super wolf_ and he was sure that Malia was gone. His phone vibrated again.

 _On our way._

Stiles grunted and threw the phone on the seat next to him. He grabbed the steering wheel with both hands, holding on to it until his knuckles turned white. He felt his breathing quickening and his heart beating faster.

'Oh, not now!'

It was a panic attack. He tried to slow down his breathing by breathing out slow and deliberate breaths and it worked long enough to loosen his right hand and turn the key to shut down the engine. He opened the door and almost fell on his face trying to get out. He had hoped the fresh air would help but it didn't. He bent over and tried to put his head between his knees but his breathing was too jagged. He felt himself slipping away as every breath became harder. He closed his eyes and sank to the ground, curling up and hoping for the end to come quick.

'Stiles!'

At first he didn't hear her. She was calling to him but she was so far away he had to strain his ears.

'Stiles! Get up!'

He felt himself being pulled upright. She was closer now.

'Malia?'

'Stiles, look at me. It's just a panic attack, you're okay. Just focus on my voice, okay? Stiles! Stay with me Stiles!'

Yes! Yes, I'll stay with you!

He wanted to shout it, but his voice wouldn't work. His lips refused to move. He tried to see through the tears in his eyes, but he could only make out the faint outline of the figure standing over him.

'Malia?'

She didn't answer. Why didn't she answer? He heard her voice, he was sure of it. He pushed himself upright and felt the rough tyre of the Jeep under his fingers. His hand slipped but he didn't hit the ground as he expected. He felt something cold on his face. He reached for it. Fingers.

'You're okay, Stiles. Just breathe'

A strange sensation made his lips tingle and he inhaled deeply, a strong floral scent entering his lungs with the welcomed freedom of air.

'It's okay. Just breathe'

The last words he heard before the darkness.

'I love this song!' Kira shrieked and turned up the radio. Scott smiled. It was so easy for her to be happy. He liked seeing her so happy. After everything that happened in Mexico this summer, it was nice to have a chance to relax and enjoy normal life.

'Scott! Stop the car!'

He nearly had a heart attack as the car came to an abrupt halt just off the shoulder next to the road. He smelled the panic off Kira the instant he heard it in her voice.

'What's wrong?'

 _911 school_

Scott stared at the screen. He had given Kira his phone to text Stiles that they were on their way to the animal clinic. Reading the message as a reply from Stiles sent chills of fear down his spine. He made a quick u-turn and sped towards the school, a million scenarios racing through his mind.

The school parking lot was almost empty and it was easy to spot the familiar faded blue Jeep standing alone. Scott didn't even bother turning the engine off as he jumped out of the car and rushed towards the hunched over figure next to the Jeep.

'Stiles! Stiles!'

There was no response.

'Stiles!' he yelled again, turning his friend's face from side to side. He lifted his jacket trying to look for some kind of wound but there was no smell of blood.

There was a soft moan and Stiles opened his eyes.

'Hey buddy' he smiled faintly. His tongue slurred and his eyes couldn't focus.

'Stiles, what happened?' Scott asked eagerly. Stiles tried to get up and Scott pulled him up in one smooth move.

'Thanks'

'What happened? Are you okay? Are you hurt?' Scott bombarded him.

'I-I'm fine. I think…it was a panic attack'

Scott sighed heavily. He pressed his fist to his chest in an attempt to push his heart back where it belonged. He shook his head angrily. He knew something was off with Stiles but he didn't think it was this serious. Damnit! He should have paid closer attention. Something really bad could have happened.

'It's a good thing you sent that text, otherwise we wouldn't have known what happened' Kira said.

'What text?' Stiles shook his head. There was something he had to remember. Someone was there with him.

'Malia' he whispered.

'What?'

Scott grabbed his best friend by the shoulders, afraid he might have another panic attack.

'Malia! Scott, she was here. I heard her voice, Scott. She was here!'

'It's okay Stiles. Malia isn't here. She left with Peter to find the Desert Wolf, remember?'

Stiles stared out of the window at the trees and buildings rolling by. Scott had offered to take him home, but he insisted that they still go to the clinic. They needed to know about this mysterious new _enemy_ that Kaitlin claimed was in town. He sighed and his eyes moved to the side mirror where Kira was following them in Scott's car.

'How do you feel?' Scott asked carefully.

'I'm fine' the reply came bluntly.

'What happened man? Are you okay?' Scott pressed.

'I don't know, dude. She wanted to tell me something and I just blew her off' he trailed off.

'Who?'

'Kaitlin'

'Kaitlin was at the school when you had the panic attack?'

Scott was shocked and then angry.

'She was there and she didn't help you?'

Stiles sighed.

'No. She left. I acted like a total ass and she left. I only panicked _after_ that'

Scott wished he knew what to say to make Stiles feel better. They barely had enough time to recover from Mexico when school started, and then only a few weeks after that Malia left with Peter to find her mother.

'We're all a bit freaked out, bro' he eventually sighed.

Stiles didn't answer. He knew they were all being _careful_ around him since Malia left. He was about to say something when they pulled into the parking lot of the animal clinic. Kaitlin was already there, leaning against her car, chatting to Liam and Mason.

'Finally!' Lydia exclaimed as she peeked out of the front door, waving them all to come in.

Stiles was reluctant to get out of the familiarity of his beloved Jeep. He squinted at the others as they all headed towards Lydia. Scott turned and pulled a face at him, forcing him to leave his comfort zone and _face the demon_ that his mind had created this stranger to be. Because that is exactly what she was, a stranger. He slowly hopped out and carefully closed the door behind him, as if stalling would make the situation appear to be any different than what it was. He glanced icily at Kaitlin as she passed him and he abruptly stopped as something very familiar struck him. It was the smell of perfume. He took a deep breath to inhale the scent again. He frowned at her and she stared back at him for a long second, before turning her face away as if embarrassed.

Deaton locked the door and switched the sign in the door to _Closed_ after they were all inside. He ushered them towards the small waiting are where he had added a few more chairs.

'Shall we get started?' he asked as he held out the first chair for Kaitlin.

'Before I tell you about the _Brotherhood_ , there is something else I think I should tell you'

Where to begin? Kaitlin knotted her fingers and unknotted them three times, trying to find the right thing to say.

'Just start at the beginning' Deaton said with a kind voice. She liked him. He was always so calm, yet ready for anything.

'I think it's time I tell you all how I came to be in Beacon Hills'


	5. History

'Didn't you just transfer?'

Liam shrugged his shoulders. He thought it was obvious.

'Not exactly' Kaitlin smiled at him. He was too adorable not to like.

'I was…traveling with my father. We had been on the road for a while when we finally hit _Vegas_ '

Kaitlin huffed and waved her hands in the air, rolling her eyes. She remembered the night they first drove down the strip. How bright the lights were and how amazing it all seemed at first.

'As a young man, he had started gambling under the influence of his friends and later made a career out it to rebel against _his_ father. But when he met my mother…He fell so madly in love with her that he literally abandoned his former life on the spot to be with her. Or so I'm told'

'See, behind every good man is a _better_ woman' Lydia teased.

Kaitlin was glad for the distraction. Thinking about her mother always made her sad.

'When my mother died, he slowly started reverting back to his old ways. At first he would disappear for days at a time. When I was about 9, he'd started disappearing for weeks on end and then he would always show up with the most beautiful gifts'

'The day after my eleventh birthday he disappeared again. My older sister, Lauren, had overheard an argument between him and my grandfather the previous day'

Kaitlin winced and studied her hands. 'I blamed my grandfather for my father leaving. I didn't speak to him for four months'

'But he came back? Your dad'

Kira couldn't help herself. She hated sad stories.

'Yes. After a year, to the day, he just walked back into my life as if nothing happend. He said he couldn't miss my birthday and all sorts of niceties...I was so happy to see him!

Kaitlin grew more exited as she talked, but at the end of the sentence she sighed heavily.

'Lauren had gotten married just six months before, and because she chose not to embrace what she was, she and her new husband moved away. I don't really even know where they went'

'She just left you alone?' Scott asked.

'No! I was never alone. That's why the family always sticks together. My grandfather and his five brothers all live together with their families, the wives, children, grandchildren. It started way back in the _dark ages_ when it was dangerous not to have the protection of large numbers'

'So there are other families that live the same way?' Stiles asked, his interest peaked.

'Yes, although I have never met another family'

'Why is that?' Kira asked.

'Because strength in numbers can also mean extra targets' Scott mused.

Kaitlin didn't answer, but the look on her face told him he was right. It all made sense now. That's why most of the packs they had come across were never too big.

'So what happened when you're dad came back?' Liam asked, eager to hear the rest.

Kaitlin took a deep breath before she spoke, as if to muster up the energy to do so.

'My father woke me up in the middle of the night saying that my sister was in trouble and that we had to leave immediately'

Another bitter smile formed on Kaitlin's lips and Stiles winced. He was beginning to realise that all was not as it seemed with her.

'I was only twelve years old and my father was this…He managed to manipulate and lie to me for almost two years. We would spend a few days in any one town and when I'd ask about it, he would tell me that Lauren was no longer there and that we had to go to the next town to look for her'

'But eventually you figured it out'

Kaitlin nodded at Lydia.

'How does all of this land you in Beacon Hills?' Stiles asked. He needed more information. He was beginning to change his mind about her and he didn't like it.

'I eventually discovered that my father was actually gambling. He said that he got a _feeling_ about a place, that he could tell if he was going to like staying there. But it only meant that when he was on a roll, we would stay for a couple of weeks and if he wasn't, we'd only stay for a couple of days'

'That must have been so tough' Kira offered sympathetically.

'He was my father…I had no way to get back home. We had travelled to America as stowaways on a container ship, so I didn't even have a passport. And I wouldn't know if my family would be in the same place, or where to look for them if they were not'

'What happened to your father?'

Deaton, who had been silently listening, stepped forward.

'You said "he _was_ my father". Something must have happened to him'

Kaitlin swallowed hard. She should feel bad telling this story, but she didn't. Overnight, her father had changed into someone she didn't recognize. Someone she couldn't care for no matter how hard she tried.

'On my fifteenth birthday he gave me a piece of paper and said: "This is the best gift I will ever give you". It had a phone number on it. He explained that if anything ever happened to him or he didn't come home, I was to call the number and I would be taken care of'

Kaitlin paused. Although she tried to hide it from the others, helping Stiles at the school earlier was not easy. She didn't know what to do. She had tried talking to him, to calm him down, but it didn't work. She tried to read his aura. It was very confusing so she tried to calm him down by sharing her own _energy_ with him. It worked and he calmed down. But he also passed out. She knew it would be useless to call an ambulance, so she texted Scott from Stiles' phone, hoping he would respond in the way he eventually did. She hid in her own car when she saw Scott turning into the school parking lot, and took off for the animal clinic as soon as she saw that he and Kira were at Stiles' side.

'Are you all right?' Deaton asked concerned.

Kaitlin smiled at him and nodded. 'It's just a headache' she assured him.

He didn't believe her, but decided to keep an eye on her rather than to make a fuss.

'So what happened?' Liam pushed eagerly.

'Well, just a little over a month ago, my father went out one night and didn't come home. I waited for three days, but when he hadn't returned by then, I knew that he was most likely dead'

Silence.

'Before you think that he abandoned me, don't give him that much credit. I don't believe that he stuck with me for any other reason than to use the "this is my sweet, innocent daughter" act to promote whatever he was into at the time'

She was angry now.

'And the number?'

Bless Liam for his curiosity.

'Yes. I phoned the number. The man who answered seemed very surprised at first, but when I told him my name, he took down the name of the motel I was staying at and twenty minutes later a driver showed up'

'And you just went with him?' Kira gasped.

'He wasn't alone. There was a woman with him, a social worker. Apparently, my family retained a lawyer in America, which was the man on the other side of the number. She explained that there was a ticket in my name at the nearest airport and that I was to get on a plane to a place called Beacon Hills to meet with him'

Kaitlin carefully glanced at Scott and then Stiles. The first smiled warmly at her, but the second was biting the top of his thumb, anxiously drumming his foot on the thick carpet of the clinic's reception area. He didn't look at her, but was intently staring at the intricate pattern of the industrial red and grey spots under his feet.

 _Well, you can't always win them all_ , she thought to herself.

'But you're not staying with him'

It was a statement more than a question from the alpha. He remembered the upscale building where he and Stiles had dropped her off the previous week.

'No. My apartment and school fees and everything else is being paid for by a trust fund set up by some mysterious _friend_ of my mother's'

The room fell silent for a minute before Lydia announced that she needed a caffeine boost. She and Kira offered to make a coffee run whilst Deaton pulled Scott aside and Mason turned to Liam with a hundred questions.

Kaitlin put her hands together and let out long sigh as she pressed her index fingers to her lips.

'This is what you wanted to tell me at school, isn't it?'

Stiles sat down in the chair closest to her where Lydia had been sitting.

She nodded. 'I thought that maybe if you knew more about me…' she trailed off, not sure if what she wanted to say would have the desired effect.

'I'm sorry. I can be a real ass sometimes'

'You don't have to apologize, Stiles. I've heard about some of the stuff you guys have been through the past few years. You're protecting your friends; nobody can blame you for that'

Kaitlin tried to smile at him, but he looked so sad and tired that she felt sorry for him.

'Are you okay?'

'What?'

'Are you okay? You look tired'

Stiles frowned. Nobody ever asked if he was okay. Nobody ever noticed how he felt other than the occasional anxiety in his chemo signals.

'I'm…' he couldn't answer. Her blue eyes seemed to stare right into his very being and it unnerved him.

'It was you. At the school' he said softly.

'I couldn't just leave you like that' she explained, knowing it would be pointless to argue with him.

'Thank you'

Kaitlin blinked. She had expected some snide remark. Not this.

She opened her mouth to say something, but at that moment Lydia and Kira returned and the boys all pounced on them when Lydia produced a box of donuts. Stiles joined them reluctantly with a big fake smile, playfully punching Scott in the arm.

 _What an odd boy_ , Kaitlin thought to herself. She took the cup Kira offered her and hummed with satisfaction as the steam from the hot beverage tickled her nose. They finished the coffee break with high spirits when Deaton finally cleared his throat.

'We should probably finish up here, it's getting late' he reminded.

They all sat back down again, and even Stiles seemed more relaxed as he winked at Kaitlin with a crooked half-smile. She nodded calmly, but her heart stopped. She blinked and cleared her throat.

'The Brotherhood'

The words sounded ominous in the dimming light from the approaching sunset.

'You said they are worse than hunters? How so' Scott asked.

'They are known by many names, but I know them as the _Brotherhood_. They consist of only men. They are…collectors…if you will'.

'Collectors of what?' Kira asked when Kaitlin hesitated.

'The supernatural' Stiles said, gauging the expression on Kaitlin's face.

'They collect werewolves?'

'Not just werewolves, Liam. There are a great many things out there that you don't know about, things that aren't even in your beastiery'.

'And you think they're after you?' Lydia asked when the thought suddenly occurred to her.

'The Brotherhood have been trying to catch _Kuracanto_ since the first meeting between our kinds millennia ago'.

'I guess I can see that' Scott mused. He knew the value someone like Kaitlin held to his pack and he could imagine what it could mean for a _collector_.

'Wait, you said they've been _trying_ to catch you' Stiles noted.

'Yes. Keeping a werewolf, or even a kanima, in captivity is one thing. But it's different for my kind.' Kaitlin started to explain.

'That's why you're so afraid of this _Brotherhood_ ' Scott said.

'The Brotherhood study everything, every creature they capture. They know how to keep them on a short leash, so to speak. They will keep a kanima in constant fear, or they will weaken a werewolf with wolfs bane…It is knowledge that they are taught from birth'.

'Then what makes the _kuracanto_ such a challenge?' Kira wondered.

'Because we are always in large numbers, the Brotherhood will, on occasion, only be able to capture one of us at a time. And this is what presents the challenge. A kuracanto survives on the energy around them. People they love or care for, such as family or friends…'

'Or being part of a pack' Scott finished the sentence.

Kaitlin nodded. 'If a kuracanto is kept in captivity for any length of time…they become weak without those connections and eventually…' Kaitlin couldn't bring herself to finish.

'You must not underestimate the Brotherhood. They have no remorse, no feeling and will stop at nothing to get what they want'


End file.
